Lead Planner

Job Description

As Lead Planner, you will support and drive the development of the Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) for a high-value, technically complex programme. You’ll provide critical schedule intelligence to senior leadership, ensure robust governance, and enable delivery safely, on time, and within budget.

Working closely with Programme Managers, IPT Directors, and technical teams, you’ll be at the heart of decision-making—translating complexity into clarity and actionable insight.

What You’ll Be Doing

Lead Integrated Planning

• Develop and maintain a fully integrated, multi-level IMS (L0–L4) across engineering, manufacturing, construction, and commissioning
• Drive alignment across programme disciplines, ensuring dependencies and interfaces are clearly defined
• Identify critical paths, risks, and optimisation opportunities

Provide Strategic Schedule Insight

• Deliver scenario modelling, “what-if” analysis, and data-driven insights to support executive decisions
• Develop KPIs and dashboards to track performance and resource utilisation
• Lead schedule risk analysis and contribute to programme-level risk management

Drive Programme Planning Excellence

• Lead planning for a programme valued at >£20M
• Oversee WBS development, baselining, forecasting, and recovery planning
• Apply earned value management (EVM) and variance analysis to monitor progress
• Assess impacts of change, regulatory requirements, and design evolution

Build Capability

• Mentor planners, engineers, and project teams on best practice in planning and scheduling
• Champion continuous improvement and industry-leading standards

Lead with Impact

• Foster a collaborative, inclusive team culture
• Act as a role model for professionalism, integrity, and accountability
• Build strong stakeholder relationships across a complex programme environment

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience leading planning on large-scale engineering, manufacturing, or construction programmes
• Strong expertise in integrated scheduling, IMS development, and programme controls
• Experience with EVM, risk analysis, and scenario planning
• Ability to operate at both strategic and detailed levels, influencing senior stakeholders
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder engagement skills
• Background in complex or highly regulated environments (energy, nuclear, infrastructure, etc.) is highly desirable

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a ground breaking fusion energy programme with global impact
• Work on a first-of-a-kind facility at the cutting edge of science and engineering
• Collaborate with world-class experts across multiple disciplines
• Opportunity to make a real difference in the transition to clean, sustainable energy

Qualifications

Essential:

• Degree in Engineering, Physics, Project Management, Construction Management, or equivalent experience.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Expert level proficiency in programme management and scheduling tools such as Primavera P6 and MS Project.
• Proven experience working in a senior or leadership position.
• Experience in Earned Value Management.
• Proven experience in SRA (Monte Carlo) schedule analysis.
• Able to translate complex physics/engineering design into structured quality plans and schedules.
• Proven experience in leading multidisciplinary teams in a complex engineering and high-technology environment.
• Proven experience in programme and project planning for large-scale engineering, energy, or construction programmes.
• Proven experience in resource loading programme or project schedules.

Beneficial:

• Experience in nuclear, fusion, or large scientific infrastructure.
• Experience in defence, aerospace, or other first-of-a-kind technologies.
• Eligibility for security vetting.
• Knowledge of fusion reactor systems, superconducting magnets, plasma confinement, or related engineering disciplines.
• Experience in NEC form of contract.
• Professional certifications (APM, PMI-SP, PSP, PMP).

Additional Information

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly women in STEM and individuals from British black and ethnic minority backgrounds, and individuals with disabilities. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI and takes steps to increase diversity within our organisation. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

UKFE is committed to being accessible. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or require help or adjustments to compete on a fair basis, for example, changes to the way we interview or share information.

This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions. Whilst not required at this time, there is a possibility of an SC Clearance being required in the future. If a candidate already holds an SC clearance, that clearance can be transferred to UKFE.

For applicants applying from outside the United Kingdom or those who have spent time outside the UK in the last five years, please visit the following link for information on criminal records checks: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants If your country of residence or previous residence is not listed on the website or if the UK Government does not have information on obtaining a criminal records check from that state, we regret to inform you that we cannot process your application.

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications. We may consider your application for future positions or similar positions within the organisation.

We have a number of exceptional opportunities available at the moment, to view them all please visit Careers - STEP.